Lavinia Volume 1 (Paperback)

Us Government, Giovanni Ruffini

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text.
Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original
book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not
illustrated. 1861 edition. Excerpt: ...If Signor Paolo was not to
be of the party, no more would I--and of course I carried the day.
And what were the thanks I received for all my efforts and
good-will, from the hands of this precious Domenichino? a cold,
distant manner, either no answer at all, or a snappish one.
However, he was no worse than the rest of the gentlemen, Count
Fortiguerra excepted. I never saw such tiresome specimens of the
stronger sex in my life. Mr. Jones was in one of his worst
moods--boisterous, bombastic, boastful, and ended by--you can guess
what? So did Captain Paddock. Do you know anything of the Paddocks
of Paddock in Yorkshire? A good family, the Pipers say, but very
poor; the captain is poor in spirit also. I am not sure that my
favourite count himself was not a little too exhilarated, but he
managed very well, and was not stupid like the other two. Though he
has a little of the bon vivamt about him, he is always the
nobleman; besides, he is full of information of all kinds, animated
with such ready wit, and not without a touch of real fun, always
kept within bounds, though, by good taste. There is, in all that he
says and does, that mixture of ease and dignity, in short that
mysterious something, that you only find among the highborn. After
all, he is not perfect; he is rather noisy, and talks too loud for
my taste; but that s one of my prejudices. I hate'loud speaking,
and Italian habits and ways differ from ours. At all events I
prefer his trumpet to the chevalier s cooing whisper. That
infinitesimal dose of a man was my neighbour, you must know. He
always speaks to one as if he was making love. I hope Signor
Mancini did not imagine that anything of that sort was going on
between the chevalier and me. More than...